Fringe Friday – Fact is Stranger than Fiction edition

As we come to the end of another week it is time to take a step back and marvel at the world we live in. As incredible as our imagination and creativity are, there is nothing more absurd than reality. This was proven multiple times recently and we will go through some of them here in the Fringe Friday – Fact is stranger than fiction edition.

There is no excuse

There are times when each of us come up to a barrier and can’t continue. Whether you feel the block is mental, physical or even emotional, there are times when life seems to get the better of us and the only option seems to be quitting. Don’t. Think about 13 year-old Jamarion Styles and his story. Styles had an infection when he was an infant and lost both of his arms. It’s fairly difficult to play anything, let alone basketball as such, but don’t tell that to this teen.

That’s right, Jamarian does not only play basketball, but he can make three point shots. For him to be in a position to be trusted to make that game winning shot seemed beyond reality, but it is a lesson and inspiration for us all. If he isn’t quitting, then quite frankly neither you nor I could have any possible excuses to quit either.

Ignoring is easy,

It is very hard these days to see kids playing on the street as was once common so long ago. Yes, adults will blame all these electronics and mobile devices, but there is also an element of danger and having other, better facilities to play in. But what are kids supposed to do if they don’t have access to better facilities? Now, I won’t say anything bad about the person who called the cops on some kids playing road hockey since it can truly be a safety issue. These officers however avoided the easy solution and came up with a better one. They could have sent one cruiser to tell the kids to leave for their own safety, but they didn’t.

The police did not take the matter lightly and they came in force. They not only blocked of the streets with their cop cars, but brought their own sticks and started to play 3-on-3 hockey with the kids. Thank you officers for seeing a situation like this and making the best of it. Oh, and if you are wondering why I am including this in my fact is stranger than fiction edition, it isn’t because the police officers joined in, it is because this incident took place in Wisconsin. Road hockey in Wisconsin, go figure!

The Toughest Run Ever Scored

There have been hundreds of books and movies about baseball but no one, ever, drew up a scenario as happened to Stephen Piscotty of the St. Louis Cardinals. First and foremost, the outfielder is ok and just suffered a facial contusion so please feel free to smirk or laugh at how it all transpired now that we know he was not seriously injured. In the fifth inning versus Chicago Cubs, Piscotty was at the plate when Cubs’ pitcher Jake Arrieta hit him in the right elbow with a pitch. Piscotty tried to reach second on a wild throw and made it safely but catcher Willson Contreras’ throw hit him on the left arm. Then, after an infield single was bobbled, Piscotty rounded third and headed for home. Just before he was able to slide in safely, you guessed it, Javy Baez’s throw hit him in the head.

It could have been so much worse and thankfully he was ready to go the next game. This gives everyone and Piscotty an opportunity to look back on one of the weirdest ways to ever score a run. No one in over a hundred years had even imagined it.

Can’t make this stuff up

If you forget about the acrobatic gentleman in the forefront and concentrate on the old man shooting free throws in the background, you begin to realize that he never misses. On the flipside, we have Deandre Jordan of the LA Clippers and how he shoots (and I use that term loosely) a free throw.